McDonald's Racist Sign Hoax Reminds Us That the Internet Never Forgets

Did you hear the one about McDonald's charging African-Americans more than the rest of the public? McD's hopes you haven't, but if you've been on the Internet this weekend or checked Twitter at all, you've likely heard the rumor that "due to a recent string of robberies, African-Americans are now required to pay an additional fee of $1.50 per transaction" at the ubiquitous hamburger joint.

Thankfully, it's a lie. An old lie in fact ... the fabricated poster on the famous yellow and red letterhead that announces the fake, racist policy has been circulating the interwebs since June 2010. McDonald's isn't happy, the public isn't happy, and I'm certainly not "lovin' it." So what does this mean for McDonald's and the rest of us?

I'm not one to generally feel sorry for a multibillion-dollar worldwide company that serves food that may or may not be slowly rotting my insides until I can no longer stand up straight nor remember my name, but I do feel a little bad for old Mickey Ds. Just when they thought that nasty rumor was put to rest last summer, a whole new batch of re-tweeters gets their hands on it and boom, it's trending.

To be clear, the image is of a paper sign that looks quite official, posted on the door of a McDonald's that reads:

Please note: As an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies, African-American customers are now required to pay an additional fee of $1.50 per transaction.

It started getting attention this weekend when the hashtag "Seriously McDonalds" was attached to the photo. I'm surprised the tagger went with an ironic tone, and not one of total disgust, but no one asked me to weigh in on the fake McD's racist poster.

The whole thing is just a reminder that rumors on the Internet never die. They may lay dormant for a few months, or a few years, but when a new bunch gets a hold of it, the beast is resurrected. Kind of reminds me to take down some questionable Facebook photos.

In case you had any question, there's no doubt that the sign is a hoax; McDonald's has issued many a statement disproving its claim. Oh, and the number at the bottom of the sign? It goes to KFC.